1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating cervical cancer including gypenoside LXXV or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient, a method of preventing or treating cervical cancer including administering the pharmaceutical composition to a subject excluding humans, a health functional food composition for preventing or improving cervical cancer including gypenoside LXXV as an active ingredient, and a feed composition for preventing or improving cervical cancer including gypenoside LXXV as an active ingredient.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gypenoside (Gyp) is a triterpenoid saponin mainly included in Gynostemma pentaphyllum, and known to have a structure and a physiological activity very similar to those of ginsenoside. Until now, there have been about 100) kinds of gypenosides including gypenoside LXXV and gypenoside XVII.
Many efforts have been made to reveal the pharmacological use of gypenoside. Skin-whitening or hair growth-promoting effects of gypenoside isolated from a Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino extract (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0085292), therapeutic or prophylactic effects of gypenoside isolated from a Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract on type 2 diabetes, obesity, or hyperlipidemia (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0069430), therapeutic or prophylactic effects of gypenoside on colitis (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0005896), etc. has been known, but the pharmacological effect of gypenoside on cervical cancer has not been clarified yet.
On the other hand, cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. The World Health Organization estimated that about 510,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed yearly and about 280,000 deaths accounting for about 56% of the cases occurred. About 90% or more of uterine cancer patients are cervical cancer patients, and cervical cancer is the most frequent malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality rate.
Under this background, the present inventors have made many efforts to demonstrate new pharmacological activities of gypenoside LXXV, and as a result, they found that gypenoside LXXV exhibits prophylactic or therapeutic effects on cervical cancer, thereby completing the present invention.